In the past, there has been proposed a contact apparatus including a pair of fixed contacts, and a pair of movable contacts movable between their closed positions where the pair of movable contacts are in contact with the respective pair of fixed contacts, and their open positions where the pair of movable contacts are separate from the respective pair of fixed contacts. In this contact apparatus, the pair of fixed contacts are electrically connected or not electrically connected depending on movement of the movable contacts. Such contact apparatus is disclosed in Document 1 (JP 2007-287525 A), for example. In this contact apparatus, the pair of movable contacts is provided to a movable contact member. While the movable contacts are in their closed positions, the pair of fixed contacts are electrically connected (the conducting path therebetween is made) through the movable contacts and the movable contact member. While the movable contacts are in their open positions, the pair of fixed contacts are not electrically connected (the conducting path therebetween is broken).
However, in such a conventional contact apparatus, an arc may occur between a movable contact and a fixed contact when the movable contact moves away from the fixed contact. Therefore, quick extinguishment of such an arc is highly demanded.